The Resident Judge of Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia has held the Minister of Justice and three others for Criminal Contempt of Court. Judge A. Blamo Dixon’s action is based upon Minister Oswald Tweh, Col. Gregory O. W. Coleman, Inspector General of Police, Cllr. Richard Scott, Montserrado County Attorney and Simeon Frank, Deputy Commissioner of Police, for failure to appear in court after a Writ of Habeas Corpus was issued by the court to have a prisoner identified as Cece Fassou released from detention. Judge Dixon ordered the four individuals to appear before today, Friday, December 6, 2024, to show cause why they should not be held in criminal contempt of court.
It can be recalled that the court ordered that the prisoner be brought to court on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 3:30pm after the Writ was served on Minister Tweh and others but they failed and refused to surrender prisoner Cece Fassou to the Criminal Court “C”. As a result, Cllr. Jimmy Saah Bombo, lawyer representing the prisoner was constrained to file a petition for a Compulsory Writ of Habeas Corpus as provided for by Law.
Accordingly, the court issued a Writ of Compulsory Habeas Corpus ordering the concerned persons to have the prisoner brought to Court on December 5, 2024; yet, they failed and refused to have the prisoner surrender to the court.
The document alleged that after making frantic efforts to have the prisoner released from Central Police Headquarters and ensure that he is brought to court, the court through its sheriff was informed by the Officer-In-Charge that the Police is in the process of locating the Police Cell or Depot that the prisoner has been detained, the information which the court sees as ridiculous on the part of the police.
According to the court document, the information gathered from the headquarters shows that the police have the intention to keep the prisoner in perpetual detention without being brought before the Criminal Court “C” or any of the Magisterial Courts within Montserrado County.
“WHEREFORE AND IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, the Clerk of Court is hereby ordered to issue a Writ of Summons against Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia, Col. Gregory O. W. Coleman, Inspector General of Police, Cllr. Richard J. Scott Jr., County Attorney for Montserrado County, and Deputy Commissioner of Police commonly referred to as Unit 103 to appear before the Criminal Court C on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 3:00pm to show cause why they should not be held in Criminal Contempt of Court or their failure and refusal to honor the Ordinary Writ of Habeas Corpus and also ne Compulsory Writ of Habeas Corpus,” the writ said. The judge said that the counsels for the Petitioner are advised to superintend the aforesaid Writ of Summons for issuance and service on the respondents above in the Ruling of the Honorable Court.
By T.Q. Lula Jaurey
